The two volumes of Hone’s Every-day Book present all sorts of diverse readings and "useful knowledge" as appropriate to each day of the year. Thus, for example, the first day's issue offers some extensive commentary on local customs having to do with New Year's Day as well as some discussion of the January 1 saints' days and other seasonal matters. Later issues offer descriptions of London street life and English popular culture, biographical sketches of significant persons, accounts of historical events, extensive commentary on English holidays, etc. Many of the numbers are illustrated with engravings Hone commissioned for the occasion.

The two hefty antiquarian volumes were originally published in serial form in 1825 and 1826, and I am planning to adopt this mode for the publication of the initial electronic edition. For the next two years (assuming both my stamina and my keyboard hold up) I will be issuing weekly numbers of the Every-Day Book through the e-text page of my William Hone BioText Website.

In addition, I am establishing a listserv through which I will announce and introduce each week's issue and which will also serve as a venue for any discussion of Hone's books (or of Romantic-period antiquarianism in general). I would like to invite interested readers to sign on to the Hone/antiquarianism listserv by dropping me a line at kgrimes@uab.edu. I don't anticipate that the listserv will be especially busy, but it could be that some useful and illuminating discussion will emerge.

A more extensive introduction both to Hone's Every-Day Book and to the electronic edition is available on the site's homepage, and I will of course be happy to address any questions that might arise.